If mankind continues to denigrate "the power of understanding, we place ourselves in serious danger of losing the evolutionary advantage that has marked us out from beasts since time immemorial.

When they're confronted by a downturn, business leaders all tend to take the same short-term, top-down approaches. But in the longer term, they don't work. So how about taking some really tough decisions - like asking the people who work for you what they would do to get out of this mess?

Most of us respond to betrayal by becoming non-trusting. We'd like to trust others, but we just can't bring ourselves to do so. But we can respond to matters of betrayal in another, far more positive way.

Looking at similarity, difference and contrast in business ideas is a worthwhile exercise because all three can be used to boost the creative thinking process.

Benjamin Franklin wrote that the definition of madness was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting change to happen. But this is exactly how many change programmes - in organisations both large and small - can be described.

A changing product line, a shortage of skilled workers, distribution challenges, IT problems, not to mention the effects of climate change on the polar regions. Yup, Santa Claus has got more than his fair share of management challenges to deal with.

When times are tough and jobs are scarce, it is important to be strategic in how you look for a job. Flooding the market with your resume is an exercise in futility. Instead, you need to follow the money and know how you can increase an employer's bottom line.

Now that we can all see the disastrous effects of The Cult of Shareholder Value and The Cult of the Chief Executive, let's hope that a new movement - the Cult of Collaboration – can come to our rescue.

As recent events have demonstrated, waves are bigger than any individual, company, or nation. To survive them, you need to learn to read the signs and then ride the surf all the way to shore.

Would a peek into the future help you in your business or personal life? Could streetcombing improve your creativity? Have you ever thought about keepoing a joy journal?